Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Hans Blix]

i've been given a joke of an american history toefl workbook to teach my upper intermediate/advanced level elementary kids.

it's clearly been written by someone (probably korean) whose english cannot be said to be fluent.

but besides all the bad grammar, inappropriate uses of vocabulary, and writing which is clunky at best, the content of the history is also less than what i might have hoped for. native americans are still indians and were taught to love their compatriots by the white settlers, important phrases like 'passage to india' are inexplicably absent, and the whole thing is written from an unashamedly catholic view point (the pagan indians and hypocritical protestants all catch a few shrapnel shards, not to mention the banging on about 'one true god').

that's maybe more background info than you need to know. what i'm posting about is the difficulty i've had finding teaching resources on the net. maybe i'm just inexperienced at net surfing - surely american history has to have some of the best in teaching resources - but i've found nothing. even the smithsonian was a bum steer.

can anyone help?

[bluelake]

I have used in the past The U.S.A.: Customs and Institutions

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0139463852/qid=1135950342/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/103-5749863-6370254?n=507846&s=books&v=glance

It's not an American history book, per se, but does include it.

Here is one that is a U.S. history book:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/076455249X/qid=1135950574/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-5749863-6370254?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

[Hans Blix]

probably i'm just not dedicated enough to my students, but i was sort of hoping for some FREE resources, preferably on the internet.

[bluelake]

Maybe try

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_History

Also, the INS used to have booklets for citizenship tests; you might find something here

http://uscis.gov/graphics/index.htm

[Grotto]

aHHH so it didnt have the important stuff in it like:

america won both world wars by themselves.....

[Hollywoodaction]

[joe_doufu]

Free lesson plans from the Discovery Channel for lots of subjects. Search for "US History" and leave "grade" unselected... there are tons of lesson plans. There's even one on the Korean war!

http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/

[VanIslander]

remember to emphasize an important theme: it's a nation borne of war wherein violence is seen as good if righteous (for freedom and independence and justice)

i've encountered non-Americans who don't believe Bruce Willis is a good guy in movies. Why not? I ask. Because he kills people.

To Americans, killing is alright (not even a necessary evil, but RIGHT) as long as it's justified.

That belief arises from its history and the history taught in its schools.

As opposed to the boring yappy political focus of canadian history textbooks.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[Snowmeow]

It's a joke in itself to be teaching American history to elementary school kids. Last class with some grade 2s I nearly gagged trying to tell them about a Liberty Bell in Philadephia and how to properly treat the American flag. Could it be any less relevant to them? I still try to address the material because its reading and listening practice but still...


Yu Bum Suk, you would have taken Canadian history in grade 10 not to mention all of history study up to that one mandatory high school course was based on Canadian history.

[laogaiguk]

[Snowmeow]

I suppose it depends on what province we are from and what's in the history curriculum. I'm from Ontario.

[laogaiguk]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[joe_doufu]